Innovation

For those unfamiliar with the consigning, this is it in a nutshell: Consignors (primarily private individuals but also organizations) bring no longer needed items that they wish to sell. The consignment store then examines the products, sorts them according to different criteria (wear and tear, seasonal relevance, etc.), and chooses the ones suitable to be sold at the store. Customers who visit the store can purchase the goods, and the consignors receive a commission on each of their sold products. Such products become available to new owners who could reuse or repurpose them, and end up meeting new needs instead of meeting the incinerator.

When it comes to consignment, Stuff Etc did not invent the wheel. They did, however, make it much better. I asked Sara Sundblad, Director of Operations at Stuff, what is it that makes Stuff Etc unique.

“Our size alone sets us apart. There’s not any consignment stores at our size that take it on at this level. I think our ability to take in a lot of different products, so you’re not driving around because time is precious, and stopping at a bunch of different specialty stores, you are able to drop them all here. (…) We try very hard through computer software and different processes in our stores to be able to tell consignors ‘your items are safe with us, we can track them at any point in the process, and we are guaranteeing that if that item sells you’re getting your money.’"

“We study going into the different market places (…) the stores are able to look at that (the specific society at each store’s location) and then take their pricing models and adjust them accordingly. They also know when they need to take in different products because of the community they’re serving.” (Sara Sundblad)

Inspiration

Stuff Etc took its first steps some 32 years ago, when founder Mary Sundblad offered to purchase a 600 sq. foot consignment store that focused on children and maternity products. The store struggled to handle its logistics, and Sundblad, who felt that she could improve the store’s operations, took it off their hands.

Sundblad soon recognized the demand for a wider variety of products, and the store grew to encompass a much wider range of merchandise. It also grew in size: from the original 600 sq. foot store, sequentially to over 20,000 sq. foot and 6 different locations in the state of Iowa (3 corporate stores and 3 franchises, with the seventh store expected to open its doors around August this year).

Today, Stuff Etc stores consign clothes, household goods, electronics, books, furniture, office supplies, and more. Director of Operations Sara Sundblad explained:

“Recycling is very important to us. Reduce, reuse, recycle, it’s really what we do. There are 13 million tons of clothing that go to the landfill each year, and that’s just textiles which are just one part of what we do. A lot of items come to us with a lot of life left in them; for us to be able to continue that life on, to keep those items out of the landfill, we want to provide that opportunity for those products to have another life and not get thrown away in the trash. In everything we do, we focus on the recycling aspect. It’s who we are, it’s what we do.”

Overall impact

While Stuff Etc is a significant contributor to the recycling, reusing and repurposing of products, its contribution extends beyond responsible consumption.

· Consignors:
Some Stuff Etc locations serve as many as 40,000 consignors, who bring their products to be sold at the stores. Since it first opened its doors, more than 100,000 consignors were able to avoid creating more waste while supporting their families in the process. Today, about 18,000 consigners interact with the stores each month. These large numbers are even more significant and indicative of Stuff’s success, considering Iowa’s population of only 3,150,000.

In addition, the sale commission further motivates potential consignors to clear up space that had formerly been occupied by unused or unneeded products, thus improving their living environment.

· Customers:
People who buy at Stuff Etc are exposed to a wide variety of products, at prices significantly lower than those of new merchandise. In this way, Stuff Etc makes products more financially accessible to more people, which otherwise may have not been able to enjoy them. In many cases, it allows customers to buy used products of superior brand and quality, at comfortable prices.

Oftentimes, buyers are also consignors: People who come to the store and leave behind goods that no longer serve them, and buy other things that they need using their consignment money. In this way, Stuff allows people to “turn” a t-shirt into a CD, a book into a coffee mug, or a washing machine into a sofa.

· Society benefits, because having a Stuff Etc store benefits individuals and organizations across the community. Stuff attempts to make sure that the products most needed by local communities are available at each store location. For example, putting an emphasis on a variety of affordable furniture in the Iowa City and Coralville locations, to serve the need of college students studying in the University of Iowa. Socioeconomic conditions also play a role in creating price levels suitable to serve the needs of each local community. Finally, Stuff offers many part-time and flexible hours positions, tailored to support college students as well as more experienced adults seeking employment.

· The environment benefits, because this business model is one of the best implementations of Reduce – Reuse – Recycle, which keeps products that still have life in them away from landfills and in the hands of appreciating people.

Business benefit

The business model of Stuff Etc nourishes all those who interact with it, shareholders, and stakeholders alike.

· Stuff Etc benefits, because it can grow and make money, and it does so simply by doing good. They don’t need to purchase or mobilize goods, as consignors come to them, keeping the flow of goods through these mutually-beneficial transactions. This is true sustainability: doing well by doing good.

· Consignors benefit, because they can turn unused products into cash, with very little effort on their side.

· Buyers benefit, because Stuff is a place where they can get a variety of their needs met, for relatively low prices.

Social and environmental benefit

· Environmental Benefit
The influence Stuff Etc has on the environment needs little explanation. Because of its business model, less products end up in landfills, and fewer products need to be manufactured and bought as new. In addition, Stuff’s wide range of product types means that customers and consignors have a wider variety of their needs met concentrated in one place, allowing them to make fewer travels when shopping.

Another environmental aspect of Stuff Etc has to do with unsold goods. After a product hasn’t been sold for some time, Stuff would forward the product as a donation for those in need. Through its Cedar Rapids facility, some of the unbought textiles are repurposed and turned into rags, or sent overseas to be worn by those who need them the most. Shoes are also recycled through Stuff’s facility, and many books are repurposed and processed to be used as insulation.

Lastly, Stuff Etc has invested and continues to invest in installing solar panels on the rooftops of the its stores. Sara Sundblad explained: “We think that’s a huge part of our business, which aligns directly with renewable energy. We have two of our facilities operating by solar panels, and the Coralville facility is the first of its kind with a battery storage facility as well. So what we overproduce we can store, and then use at another time to help reduce our carbon footprint.”

· Societal Benefit
Stuff allows organizations like hospitals and other charities to open consignor accounts which generate commissions that support their causes. Community members can support their organization of choice by donating products to an organization’s consignor account. The profile photo illustrates a non-profit cause receiving funds from the sale of goods donated through Stuff Etc.

Interview

Sara Sundblad, Director of Operations